The Search For Significance

"I'm fat,"

"I'm ugly,"

"I'm too old,"

"I'm too young,"

"I can't compare to her,"

"Why would he marry someone like me?"

"I'm a bad mother,"

"I'll never be good enough"...Shall I go on?

How many of us hear these words echo in our heads on any given day? Multiple times per day? Every moment?

I know this negative self talk is something I struggle with, thankfully, not as much as I used to. These are lies that we tell ourselves. Sadly, some of these lies have been instilled from the time we are very young.

For many women, we grow up thinking that our worth comes from how thin we are, how shiny our hair is, what parties we get invited to or how good our grades are. Later, as adults, we think (or are told) our worth comes from how well our children do in school, how clean our houses are, how much money is in our bank accounts or what brand purse we carry or what car we drive.

We strive to outdo our neighbors. Unfortunately, this behavior isn't limited to non-Christian women. How many of you strive to bring the best dish to the church's potluck, or sell the most cookies at the youth-group bake sale? How many of us triple check our children before leaving for church, making sure they look "just right"...and who among us clean our homes above and beyond our typical routine when we know the pastor's wife is coming over, or the ladies from church? (I know my husband gets excited when the ladies from our church come over because I go crazy with cleaning and the house becomes spotless and smells of fresh bread and cookies!) And don't get me started on how we really over do it at the holidays only to weep silently in the bathroom out of exhaustion - or because the turkey was dry?

Why do we do this to ourselves!?


Why is it that we constantly feel the need for reassurance that we are good enough?

Why do we feel that value needs to come from some outside source - mirrors, friends, family, children...etc. I struggled for so many years with the search for significance; looking to everyone and everything for validation of who I was - searching for someone or something to "define" me, to give me worth, to say, "Yes! You are needed! Yes! You have worth! Yes you are loved!"

Every path I walked down in search for answers lead to some form of destruction - alcoholism, depression, illness followed me as I wandered farther and father down the path which could have lead to what often stems from such an ego-centric journey...that is, self-destruction.


That was until I found the answer to my never-ending quest for significance - I learned that I was a child of God! I learned that I was made for a purpose - His purpose. I learned that I was loved - SO loved, in fact, that God Himself gave up His only Son so tht I might be forgiven for my sins (John 3:16). I learned that I didn't need to be "good enough" on my own merit - that I was already good enough because I am His daughter! (Ephesians 1:14) I learned that it didn't matter that I had done things that were so incredibly sinful because through Christ's selfless act of love, His death, His sacrifice, I was made new and that my sins were erased - a clean slate! (II Corinthians 5:17) By coming to faith in Jesus Christ, I was given a purpose - to be a servant, to do whatever it is that God Himself wants me to do - What greater purpose is there than that!

"The Bible tells us that, 'while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us' (Romans 5:8). In fact, we 'were dead in trespasses and sins' (Ephesians 2:1). What worth is there in dead things? None. God imputed to us His own righteousness (II Corinthians 5:21) not because we were worth of it, but because we were unworthy, unlovable, and unable to make ourselves worthy in any way. But - and here's the miracle - He actually loved us in spite of our condition (John 3:16), and because He did, we now have infinite worth."

How awesome it is, and what a relief, to know that we do not have to be good enough on our own merrit!

Whew!

I, for one, am happy to know that my worth isn't determined by my husbands ironed (or not!) work shirts, or the dust bunnies on top of my ceiling fan, or the extra weight I need to lose or even my college degrees.


Instead, my worth comes from knowing that I am a child of God - chosen before the world began as His daughter, made worthy by His death on the cross - justified by faith, made whole by His love!


It is my prayer that while your children are running around the grocery store, or when your bread burns, or after the scale gives you news you don't want to see or during times when you feel less than lovable, that you remember that you are a child of God, made in His image (Genesis 1:25-27), fearfully and wonderfully made! (Psalm 139:13-16).


Hold your head up high, woman of God!


Look each day in the face and say, "Today I will walk each step with confidence knowing that I have worth and that I have a purpose; to use the gifts God has given me to serve the best purpose there is, His purpose. I will keep my ears open to His voice, my eyes open for opportunities to serve and my heart open to love others, and be loved in return. My value is given to me through my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - and no other." How awesome to know that our search for significance ended the moment we said, "Yes" to Christ! Now go out and celebrate who you are in Christ! Give praise to Him who delivered you from what could have been a never-ending and pain filled empty journey of self-hatred. Praise to the truth - the truth that set you free!

Swirly Life

Life gets pretty swirly sometimes, doesn't it? For me, more often then not, I find myself feeling like the person in the infamous painting, "The Scream"; feeling that myself and my life are bending in too many directions - things swirling around me, confusing, chaotic.

This is similar to what we in the education field call, "a sensory overload day"; too much going on too quickly with not enough resolution to those things swirling around us, and not enough resources, time, money, etc, to process what is coming at us, fast enough. Children react to sensory overloads in a way that we adults, more often then not, do not; they holler, scream, push things and people away, cry, retreat, or even sometimes, seek out even more of the behavior that is making them upset in the first place.

How does it feel for you when life gets swirly?

On any given day, we have a thousand things going on in our own lives, as well as within the world around us. We have jobs to go to, houses to clean, kids to shuttle here and there, meals to prepare, financial woes, health issues, aging parents, husbands stressing us out, ministries to run, and the list goes on and on.

Yet, because we are Christians, we are expected to "keep it all together" so that we can present this image of "perfection" to the world, that we have been made completely (note the word "completely") perfect by the fact that we put our faith in Jesus Christ. Yet while it is true that, "All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21), we have to remember what we are saved from: sin, hell, eternal damnation. Is there a promise anywhere in scripture that ensures us that because of our faith we will no longer have stressful days? That troubles won't come? That something magical will happen and poof all our troubles away when they occur? No!

In fact, there are more scriptures that state just the opposite - they promise that trials will come and that people will fail you and that you will face days, or even an entire lifetime of sensory overload. Not the best marketing campaign to pitch to a nonbeliever, is it? I know when I came to faith in Christ, I thought that He would magically make all of my troubles disappear (I think I was looking for a "fairy godmother" character, and not a redeeming Christ!), but they never did.

The promise Christ give us is this; "Come to Me, all who are heavy laden [stressed, burnt out, throwing temper tantrums, feeling like they are in sensory overload] and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28).

How many of us want to rest?

How many of you feel like you have a hiking pack strapped to your backs full of stress that has your knees buckling, your limbs shaking, tears and sweat pouring down your face...you feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually weak - or even completely spent?

Good - you know why that's good - because that means you're not broken in two to the point where you can't go on - you're not dead, in the ground, crushed by the weight of the world. However, there is something you can do with that pack on your back - you can let it make your legs collapse, resulting in you falling to your knees where you will cry, "Abba, Father!", and the promise of help from the Lord will come. God doesn't break promises for anyone - anyone, and that means you! Let the Lord take that pack off your back as you read this Psalm:

"I lift my eyes up to the hills -
where does my help come
from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He
will not let your foot slip -
He who watches over you will not
slumber,
indeed He who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor
sleep.
The Lord watches over you -
the Lord is your shade at your right
hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord
will keep you from all harm -
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will
watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."

- Psalm 121

How awesome of a promise is that?

How awesome to know that when everyone and everything around you is crumbling, Jesus Christ, God, the Maker of the universe, will come to your personal rescue because He loves you and cares for you personally. That's pretty amazing if you ask me!

So next time (or even right now!) when life around you gets swirly and you feel like you're being bent in too many directions, scream...but scream on your knees, in a voice of honest desire for the Lord's rescue - and my friends, be patient, our God is faithful, He is mighty to save! So scream...scream to the Lord...on your knees, He will rescue you, He alone will give you guidance, peace, wisdom and strength to endure, eventually lifting your chin, then taking your hand, lifting you up, helping you to stand tall again - ready to face the world head on as a light of His promise of redemption unto all the world! Amen!

"Do you not know?
Have you not heart?
The Lord is the
everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow
tired or weary,
and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength
to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired
and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the
Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like
eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be
faint."

- Isaiah 40:28-31

Lose the Lies

"O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me" - Psalm 139:1

We women are good at lying, aren't we?

We lie to ourselves all the time.

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"No, I don't mind helping at all."

"I'm over it, really."

How many times have we repeated these (and so many other) lies to ourselves, just to keep ourselves moving? We quote cliche's to ourselves and others in order to get through a day, to survive, or to plain out avoid the issues that we need to confront in our lives.

I'm reminded of a movie I really enjoy where two knights are fighting each other. One knight cuts off the other knight's arm, but the knight keeps on fighting, convinced he can still win the battle. The knight then cuts off his opponent's other arm, but the obviously defeated knight still wants to fight. Easily the winner of the fight, the knight cut off the other knights legs until he is just a stump on the ground. The now limb-less knight finally gives in and calls the battle"a draw"...taunting the victorious knight as he rides off, calling him a chicken.

How many of us are like that knight?

We lie to ourselves that we're fine, or that we're only slightly injured, perfectly capable of winning the battle and moving forward with our mission to win?

Maybe your war is with your husband, your children, your parents, your best friend...and you are determined to win. Why?

Why do you feel the need to win this battle?

At what cost will you continue to fight?

At what point will you finally raise the white flag and say, "I surrender"?

Why haven't you surrendered already? When I say "surrender", I don't mean give in or let the "other side win", but I do mean fully surrender.

"Well who do you want me to surrender to?"



Scripture tells us that the battle is not ours, but God's, to win for us. He is that white knight ready to step in and take the hits, and make the attacks, for us. He is our champion, we are the Lady in Waiting, ready to swoon as our Hero wins the battle and saves the day for us. There's just one little problem with letting God win our battles - we are prideful people, set on doing things our way, unwilling to wait for results, and ready to either fight or hide...either way - we are hiding from a greater issue - our inability to fully surrender, and fully trust this battle to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Here is some food for thought as you sit in our cafe today...an appetizer...or light entree, if you will...

"The important thing is to stop lying to yourself. A man who lies to
himself and believes his lies becomes unable to recognize the truth either
becomes unable to recognize the truth, either in himself or anyone else, and he
ends up losing respect for himself as well as others. When he has no
respect for anyone, he can no longer love and, in order to divert himself,
having no love in him, to his impulses, indulges in the lowest forms of
pleasure, and behaves in the end like an animal, in satisfying his vices.
And it all comes from lying - lying to others and to yourself" - The
Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky.

When we continue to push God out of the picture of the battle we are fighting, we are lying to ourselves that we need God due to our selfish pride. Or, maybe you're thinking, "Well this battle is one that's so big (or so small) there's no use getting God involved. I'll handle it".

There is no battle to big or too small that God will go to war for you over so that you can live a victorious life through Him. We just need to raise the white flag, scream out "I surrender all God", and truly (and I mean truly ) surrender All to Christ so that He can (and He will!) step in and save the day!

I know that He has gone to battle for me on a daily basis - He has been my champion of both big and small things - major life events, and daily life happenings. He took on the world for me - the full weight of sin - so that I might have eternal life. If He is willing to voluntarily take on that punishment for me, then the least I can do is say, "I surrender! I need you!" so that our Hero can rush in and save the day; or, at the very least, pull us out of the situation we are in and point us in the right direction.

Please my friends as we find ourselves standing on the edge of a New Year, stop hiding, stop trying to be brave, stop trying to hide from your problems, thinking that God won't step in and help.

There is no battle too small, or too big, that our Hero can't champion for us. He is our Hero, our Warrior King, our White Knight...ready to blaze into battle for us - for all our battles, great and small, He will fight for His beloved children - and that includes you! You need to simply put away your pride, your disbelief, your lying and tendency to hide from the world when look bleak. Let Him win the battle for you...after all, it's what He does best!

Let's pray:

Lord, I'm sorry for being so prideful. I try to do things for myself when I know I need to trust that You will win this battle for me. Help me to not hide from the world when things get difficult, and help me to stop lying to myself and others that I can face these challenges all alone. Help me to stop pointing the finger at others, myself, or even You, when I'm faced with difficult circumstances. Instead help me to be brave enough to come to You in humble surrender, hands raised high, excited to see how You, my Hero, will win this battle for me. I trust You, Lord...I trust You, my Hero.

Thank You for the victorious life that I will lead because of the battles You have, are and will win for me - and because of the strength I will gain because of Your promise to fight for me, despite my prideful ways. I thank You, Lord, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us - in an act of ultimate bravery...who rose again from the dead in complete victory over the battle that is death. I know, Lord, that if You can defeat death and take on the sins of the world, You can claim victory in this battle that I am fighting. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Waiting Upon The Lord

"They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

- Isaiah 40:31

I don't know about you, but I'm not the most patient person in the world.

I typically need to know everything, right at that moment, in complete detail.

For example, when I first got saved, the very next day, I walked into a church and said to the pastor that greeted me at the door, "So, I got saved last night, I got this Bible, now what".

The look on his face was priceless! I was pretty convinced that there couldn't possibly be that much to know about this "whole being a Christian thing" and that if I was going to do it, I needed to know all the details, right there and then - all at once. I'm like that with anything that I have to "learn" - thus why I always did well in school.

Much to my chagrin, the pastor said, "Whoh, just relax. It's awesome that you got saved, and that's the first step into a real relationship with the Lord. But let's take it one step at a time".

Of course I was ready to run right there and then! What do you mean take it one step at a time! I need to know now!. I didn't have time to just wait it out and see how this whole relationship with Christ thing went, I had to get going with it!

For those of you that are mothers, I was like the child asking, "Why mommy?" questions every four seconds, and the anxious child pulling at your leg saying, "But mommy I need it noooowww!" Or better yet, your toddler that you take into the store and starts making a huge scene when they can't get the thing that they want. I was that child. I wonder how God viewed me at that point.

Was He annoyed by my "needy-ness?"

Did He appreciate my questioning?

Was He laughing at my stubbon I-need-to-know-it-all-right-now attitude?

Thankfully our heavenly Father is much more patient than our earthly parents, and, as His word promises, if we just wait, He'll reveal His truth to us - in His time.

Do you hate waiting?

We always feel like we're waiting for something don't we? Waiting for results of a medical test to come in, waiting for a child to arrive, waiting for our child to call when they've been out late, waiting to find out where our next meal is coming from.

We're always waiting for something.


Right now, I'm waiting to see how my wedding is going to pan out. There have been many bumps along the way and things to deal with, and I hate waiting to see how it is going to turn out! I want to know that everything is perfect and that I can relax. But, that's not reality; I just have to wait.

The Lord wants us to be patient in all things.

His word says, "Love is patient, love is kind". I love this reflection of God's heart because it is saying that love is revealed in a way that is both patient to the recipient and kind (rewarding) to them as well. Match that up with the promise made in Isaiah 40:31, and it sure gives us a lot of hope for being able to cope with the process of waiting for whatever it is that we are, well, waiting for.

Often times the process of waiting is so much harder than receiving the result. It's the not knowing that makes us nuts! Yet God promises that if we just wait in Him - in His timing, in His all-knowing, in His love...He'll come through for us in a way that we can't imagine. That's a pretty awesome promise - one that I pray will help you cope as you wait...and wait...and wait...because eventually, in His timing, all will be revealed, all will be made right by He who is in control. Maybe the results won't be what "we thought" they would be...but they will be exactly He knows is necessary to bring about His glory; and ladies, ultimately, that is what life is about - bringing about God's glory for the greater good.

So, let us take time this week to wait - wait in the promise of knowing that God is in control, that H ewill reveal all things in His time, and that for us, the reward will come in eternity, when all is set right and all is made clear to us. Amen?

Let's pray:

Father God, we know that we aren't always patient with you. We whine, we complain, we worry and beg. We ask that You grant us the patience that only You can provide to wait it out as You unveil Your glory to us. We ask that You continue to guide us through our waters of worry with a gentle but firm hand; helping us to be unafraid as we wait to reach the shoreline. We put our full trust in You Lord, and we ask Your forgiveness for those times when we do not. We believe in Your promise to keep us strong and to reveal and work all things together for Your glory. We say these things in Your Son Jesus's precious name. Amen.

us true happiness. It is in Your name that we pray, Amen.

- Allison is the blog author of Simple Christian Living. Stop by and say "hello"!

The Secret To Happiness: A Worksheet

"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do."

- Freya Stark

I wanted to do this devotional a little differently. It may be because I'm a teacher, or maybe because I believe in the power of the written word, but I love the act of physically writing down my thoughts and response to questions. Therefore, in relation to the above quote, I wanted to make this an interactive process. First, I'd like for you to respond to the following questions:

Name (at least) 3 things that you believe to be true about Jesus Christ's requirements on those who come to believe in Him:

1.

2.

3.

Now, I want you to research 3 scriptures to support those requirements put on us by Christ.

1.

2.

3.

Here is what I came up with.

First, Christ expects us to believe in Him to receive eternal life. John 3:16 tells us that! ("For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.")

Secondly, He expects us to tell others about Him and His truth; "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded of you." - Matthew 28:19-20.

Third, He expects us to love one another; "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you show that you love one another." - John 13:34-35.

Then for good measure, let me also note that we are to serve one another in that love; "If then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one anothers' feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them." - John 13:14-17.

So let's recap: Christ expects us to: (and these are just a *few* examples)

• 
  
  Believe in Him


• 
  
  Tell others about Him


• 
  
  Love others as He loved us


• 
  
  Serve each other as He was a servant to and for us

What are some ways that you are living out these beliefs?

Think back on times when you were living out (or maybe you are now!) these beliefs. How did it make you feel?

I know when I am living out these expectations set forth by our Lord and Saviour, that I feel great! Not in a prideful, accomplished kind of way, but in a way that makes me feel close to God, because I am being obedient to the Lord. The Word through and through teach us that we are happiest in our spirits when we are obeying the Lord and walking with Him in a real, personal and "hands on" kind of way. In fact, hell is often described as being apart from the Lord when we aren't obeying His expectations and will for our lives.

It is my prayer that each of you will seek out truths about what He has designed to make us happy, and then "do" those truths. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, reach out to the hurting, love the unloveables. Those moments when you are really connecting with those around you as He connected with those around Him, are the times when you will feel the most at peace within yourself, and with Him. True happiness comes from living our beliefs - what do you believe in?

Let's pray:

Lord Jesus, thank You for providing a way for us to be truly happy. Thank You for providing us with access to Your Word so that we can learn about what pleases You, so that we can walk in a real and personal way with You, bringing peace and joy into our lives on a real and tangible level. Thank You Lord for being accessible to us, by showing us how to live a peaceful, productive and service-driven life. May we always seek Your will for our lives, so that You can show us true happiness. It is in Your name that we pray, Amen.

Allison is the owner of Simple Christian Living. Feel free to visit her blog also and leave a comment to encourage and support her!

Hope in the Lord

"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey."

- Stephen Covey

"If you fear God, you won't fear humans."

- Albanian Proverb

"[God says], do not fear, for I am with you;do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you;I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

- Isaiah 41:10 (New International Version)

"For I am mindful of the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. You call upon me and come and pray to me, and I heed you. You seek Me and find Me: Now you seek Me with all your heart and I am at hand for you, says the Lord..."

- Jeremiah 29:11-14a; Matthew 7:7

I don't think there is one person reading this who hasn't seen the turn that our nation, and even our world, is taking. On every news channel we see reports of unemployment rates skyrocketing while the value of the dollar drops and signs of a “New World Order” become more and more obvious.


Maybe you yourself have been laid off, maybe you don’t even know where your next meal is coming from, or maybe you’re reading this from a homeless shelter.


I don’t know your situation, but God does.


Regardless of how you are or aren’t being affected by the situations in the world, we have all been in places in our lives where we didn’t know what was going to happen next, or how we would handle it when it did. Have you ever felt like you’re just waiting for “the shoe to drop?”


My fiancé is like that; he likes to prepare for the worst and expect the worst. I, on the other hand, I used to feel like that, but, in recent years, now consider myself to be a bit of an optimist. You see, I went through a period in my life where I sincerely didn’t know if I was going to make it to the next day.


My depression crippled my life, forced me into a reclusive state and caused me to teeter on the brink of self-extinction on many an occasion.

Are you in that place now?

Do you wonder to yourself, "Is this life even worth it?"

"How do I really know that there is a heaven?"

"How do I really know that all this pain, suffering, heartache is going to be worth it in the end?"

I have an answer for you: have hope. The only thing (let me repeat, the only thing) we can depend on in this life is the hope that is offered through a belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Think about it: your family can and will let you down, your health will eventually cause you issues, our government is unreliable, and money, well, we all know about that one. The only thing we can rely on is the hope that has been given to us through Christ.


This past presidential year, both candidates used “change” and “hope” a lot in their campaigns. Yet, the change and hope that was offered is, at best, a Band Aid – a temporary fix to a permanent problem. The state of the world has always been in unrest. There has always been violence, crimes, hate, poverty, etc, and we all know those conditions aren’t improving. However, when all earthly hope seems lost, we pick up God’s Word and, from cover to cover, the potential of hope increases.


The great heroes of the Bible eventually only find their strength in the Lord; their hope increasing as their dependence on the world decreases, turning fully to the Lord for strength. In their lives, and in our own, the only way hope is achieved is when we stop putting hope into the things of this world, and placed instead, fully, into the Lord and His promises. Think of it this way – which would you rather invest in now – Wall Street, or the streets that are promised to be paved with gold? Which would you rather place your hope in the hands of – bankers or hands scarred with nails that paid the debt of our sins? The choice is yours. Let us place our hope in He who has sustained us from birth. Let us hope in He who sits on Heaven’s Mercy Seat. Let us place our hope in He who is the shepherd for our wandering spirits.

“But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:18-22)”

Let’s Pray:

Father God, we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be the hope that we can cling to in times when the weight of the world feels like more than we can bear. Send Your Holy Spirit to surround us with His presence to be our ever present helper in times when we are weak. Help us to truly lean upon the ever lasting arms of Christ when we no longer have the strength to walk on our own. Truly, we place all our faith in You Lord, our only reliable source of hope. It is in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Sweet Surrender

"If you have really handed yourself over to Him it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside you."---- C.S. Lewis, *Christian Behavior* (Macmillan, 1943), p.66

How many times have you "surrendered" something (an issue, a worry, a sin, etc) to Christ? How many times have you held your hands high in worship singing, "I surrender all"? How many times, while praying, have you said, "Lord I'm putting this in Your hands"? How many times have you said to yourself, "Just let go and let God"? Hundreds? More times then you can count? Me too! Worse yet...how many times has the preacher on television or at church said "the sinner's prayer" and you prayed along with them...just to "be sure" or "just in case". Me too...

When we say with our lips that we are surrendering something to the Lord - including ourselves! - we, as His children, knowing that He is ultimately in control of our lives, need to really surrender it. What I mean is this - true surrender doesn't mean "saying" that you surrender and then worrying endlessly about that same issue or wondering if God will take care of the issue. Do you remember the infomercial on television for the product whose catch phrase is, "Set it and forget it!"? Well, when we surrender something to the Lord, we need to "Surrender and forget it!" I know it's not that simple - I hear the protests already. "But you don't know what the issue is! It's so severe! It's life threatening! It's ______ (fill in your situation here)". No...I do understand. Being a cancer survivor, I completely understand. Being the fiance of a man with cerebral palsy and crones disease and a home bound diabetic future mother in law, I understand. Being the best friend of a woman whose son had a kidney transplant, I understand. We all understand.

We all understand what it means to want to hold on to an issue. We all know how scary it is to put an issue that you desperately want to control into the hands of a God that we have not yet met face to face. Yet someone said something to me the other day that I personally had never thought about before. Why did Christ die on the cross? We all know that answer - to take the punishment for our sin to set us free so we could, by believing in Him, have eternal life (John 3:16). But there is an element we might overlook now and then - Christ also died on the cross and then defeated death as a reminder that because He endured the pain, He could take care of ours - and defeat it. Every time we try to take hold of a situation that we "tried to surrender" to Christ but then think about constantly, try to fix or resolve ourselves, we re-crucify Christ. We put Him back on that cross and we re-drive those nails into his feet and hands. We do it. Through our lack of obedience with regard to surrendering, and not heeding His word about the pointlessness of worry, we are disobeying our Lord and Savior - and thus, we cannot be given the greatest blessings He has in store for us until we obey.

When we try to control a situation that we have previously surrendered, we are not only disobeying the Lord, but we are saying "You're not really good enough to handle this" or "I don't really trust You to handle this, so Ill just work on this myself." Wow. Can you imagine seeing Christ's face right in front of you and saying to Him, "I don't trust You" or "You're not good enough" or "My situation is just too big (or too small) for You". Would you dare? Me either.

So what are we to do!? We wave the white flag...but for real this time! It doesn't matter what the situation is, seek HIM and He will take care of it by sending the Holy Spirit to guide you through it, helping you to see His will and His way in every situation. His word says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." and "Come to me, all who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." But not only do we need to surrender all to Him (heart, mind, body, spirit and family) but we also need to go to Him, humbly, in repentance, asking for forgiveness about trying to control everything - ask Him for His help in getting you to fully release everything to Him. It's not easy but it's necessary. Complete obedience to Christ our King - our Lord and Master - our Savior...is 100% essential. Impossible you say? Hmm...it seems that His Word says "With God...ALL things are possible"! So no excuses! Wave your white flag today! AND MEAN IT!

"You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil,if you do not desire to live according to it."-------- Martin Luther

Let's Pray:

Heavenly Father, I ask for Your forgiveness. I come to You humbly to admit that I have been a control freak - so much so that my actions and my words have made it appear to You that You are not enough to take care of my situation. I know that is not the case Lord because Your Word teaches me that nothing is impossible for you, no situation too big, no situation too small. Take this load off my back - help me release the grasp I have on this situation regarding ______________. I pray that Your Will be done. Send the Holy Spirit to sit by my side as I deal with this situation. Lord, I'm afraid to surrender everything to You. But Lord, I put my complete faith in You for all things and I thank You for promising me that, as Your child, if I simply ask for You to slip Your hand in mine...guide me through this situation, helping me to know that the victory is already won - by YOU! In Your name we pray, Amen!

New Creation in Christ

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Was there ever a time in your life, prior to becoming a Christian, when you examined your life and said, "How can God possibly use me? My life is too messed up, I've done too many bad things. God can't forgive me...not someone like me."

Well, I've been there.

I've sat up until the wee hours of the morning, crying because my life was so off track, because I messed up so many times I couldn't keep track of all the lies, the games I played, the people I hurt. I would think back on my parents, how many times they bailed me out of bad situations (financially and otherwise), watched me crumble into a million pieces and then work hard to help me rebuild my life only to have me stab them in the back again and again. Regardless of how many times I messed up and hurt my parents though, they always came through for me; maybe not in ways I thought were best for me, but in ways they knew were best for me - most of the time anyway.

My parents are difficult people and I've always had a complex relationship with them - especially my mother. Years of games played on both sides, feelings that were hurt, bad choices, times of being emotionally unavailable and screaming matches that you wouldn't believe caused all of our hearts to be hardened to one another for so many years.

You see, my parents had seen me bring their lives to ruin time after time that "tough love" had to be their motto with me...and they were right to do so - in retrospect. When I became a Christian one late night while watching Billy Graham on television - a choice I made in conjunction with a "deal I made with God" after promising to put off my thoughts of suicide (which had been attempted in the past several times mind you - something else I put my parents through) if He could change my life.

I gave God one shot to change my life - I told God, if He could just take the mess of a life I created and turn it into something worth wile. Could you imagine me telling God what to do! Do you ever do that?

My parents always let me back into their lives - in fact, it was never them who left...it was me. I was the one who walked away from them...not the other way around. In those times of of me walking away, my parents tried and tried to get me back on track - but eventually, they let me fail, knowing full well they would have to be the ones there to pick up the pieces when it was all over; and they were right!

In the end, they were the ones who convinced the university to take me back...they were the ones to bail me out financially time after time of making horrible, shattering choices, they were the ones who were there for me when I went through my radiation treatments and therapy after my bout with thyroid cancer. They were also the ones who held their breath and cried as I walked across the stage, finally earning my degree (with honors!) after 9 years of turmoil, they are the ones who brought all the food for my first family party at my house, and they are the ones helping plan (and pay for!) my upcoming wedding. They have experienced my lowest lows, and my highest highs...my hurts have been their hurts...my joy has been their joy. How much more has Christ experienced those moments with me?

Jesus said - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we become new...He pushes the reset button...erases the blackboard and claps the erasers...He erases our Etch-A-Sketch...He says that "old things have passed away" - He buried our old things and they passed away - they then became new through His blood - His sacrifice - His choice to take us back into His arms and use us for His purpose (which is way better than our purposes!) - despite the filth that we once were.

Just like the transition from winter into Spring - time passes day after day of choices that are dark, cold, resembling death...then, we choose - we choose life (Christ) - we step out in faith and we plant our bulbs, our seeds...and what happens - LIFE! Bursting forth in color, in beauty, in a promise of warmth and joy!

Are there still showers?

Yes! BUT - those showers no longer bring death, but life - renewal and a constant promise that when we step out in faith and choose life...new life will always burst forth - just as Christ burst forth from the tomb, defeating death, showing that, behold, He makes all things new - even His wayward children...what a Daddy we have!!

Let's pray:

Lord Jesus, we thank you for making us new creations! You didn't have to welcome us back into Your arms - we who were covered in filth. But you chose to not only welcome us with open arms, but You removed our filth and covered us with Your righteousness...fit for the Kingdom of Heaven! Lord, continue to renew us day by day, forgive us of our sins, help us to always be grateful for Your sacrifice...never taking Your blood and Your broken bones for granted. Strip away our flesh so that only Your Spirit can shine through. Help us to walk by faith and not by sight, trusting that even though the winter seems long and death but an inch away at times...that You always make sure that Spring will come again with it's beauty and new creations. Help us to hold on to the truth that You loved us so much that You died for us while we were still sinners - but, when we put our faith in You, You promise to make us new again - to wipe the slate clean...even though we never deserved it - and still don't. Thank You for loving us enough to share in our failures - and we pray that You smile in our accomplishments, only made possible by Your hand. We praise You Lord, and give You all the glory. Amen.

The Wedding Dress Blues

"Marriage requires a person to prepare 4 types of "Rings": Engagement Ring Wedding Ring, Suffering, Enduring" - Unknown

I am getting married in September. When I first got engaged, I was thrilled!

I had a wonderful Christian husband that I was going to spend the rest of my life with, a beautiful ring on my finger and months of planning ahead of me which had already begun when I was oh...about 5 years old.

We had a long engagement since, when we got engaged, we had only been dating about 5months. I still had college to finish, a career to start, etc., so, the real details and the "had-to-be-done's" really didn't come into play as something I needed to do right away. Now, three years later and 6 months away from the big day, I'm finally getting around to really "wanting" to do the wedding "stuff" that every girl who is having any kind of celebration for that day has to do.

Now mind you, my hubby-to-be and I initially wanted a backyard picnic, some good BBQ and an old fashioned hoe-down style day. But, the logistics of rain, elderly and disabled people, location (being our families live 2 hours apart) got the better of us. We are now having a rather large wedding at a glamorous location with 150-200 of our "closest friends" and more food than any given person could probably eat in a week. (Thankfully my parents are paying for most of this :)).

So...my vision of what "my day" should be had to change to accommodate everyone else. That's fine. Really. (*grumble, mumble, grimace.*) I grumble not because I'm not thrilled with everything that we are going to have, I'm just less than thrilled with all the "little details" that had to be thrown into the pot to be taken care of. But there was one "minor detail" that could be saved until the last minute (In my mind) that I was really dreading....the wedding dress.

Now you're probably thinking, "Allison, that's the most important part of the day!

That's the image everyone is going to remember! Looking like a princess is fun!"...and I agree with you except for one thing...if you aren't a size 2ish...you're pretty much destined to try on so many gowns that make you look like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man from Ghost Busters, or the Michelin Tire guy, or a white Macy's Day Parade balloon, that the thought of eloping and wearing you're comfy clothes while doing so starts to seem pretty reasonable!

I mean, who really wants to stand on a podium surrounded by 360 degrees of mirrors showing every lump and bump and roll that you have...ugh! Now my bridesmaids, that was a different story. I knew the dresses for them the minute I saw them - flowing, figure flattering (high wasted, flowing, breathable fabric) and something they could all wear again. So while visiting David's Bridal yesterday, I walked right over to the dresses I wanted for the girls, in the color I knew I wanted, had them try them on, and...sure enough they were perfect and they were bought and done in no time (under an hour!). So I was done and could move on with my day...or so I thought.

On my way out the door, my mother spotted a dress she and I had been looking at online, but didn't know what it would look like in person. A cream colored (I can't wear white...I'm just too...well...white :)) A-line gown that was very modest and had a sheer organza coat over it, covered in what looks like antique lace detailing that trailed into a train and also had long sleeves - which is good to cover up my bye-bye arms (I call them that because they wave "goodbye" after I do :)). It looked like a formal 1940's style gown - or like something maybe my grandma would have worn. But, for those that know me, I love vintage things - especially ones that are "different", in a classy, retro yet romantic kind of way.

I really didn't want to try it on.

"I don't want to pull my size and see myself so big!" I thought to myself. But, with some coaxing from my girls (and mom), I had the assistant pull what I thought was my size. And after the slip layer, the long-line-boned bra layer, another layer of lining, 3 layers of tulle - and then the dress part and then the coat part...I came out. And...I kid you not, over the sound system, the song that was playing in the operating room where I was born (via-C-section) was playing ("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack) started playing. It was as if the heavens themselves started singing. My mom was crying...of course...and I just kept my head down...not wanting to look in the mirror. I slowly raised my eyes, then my head, then my posture, and then my smile :)

I didn't look like a marshmallow bride! In fact, the dress was really big on me! (apparently the diet thing is working - yay!). So, with the correct size finally on me, the lady put me on the podium, tossed a veil in my hands, fluffed me all up - and I knew that I knew that I knew, that this was the dress for me! This was it. And...it was on sale! (bonus!)

Gown ordered. Check. Bridesmaid dresses ordered. Check. Favors, ceremony decor, reception situated, honeymoon planned and invitation design picked out (that my fiance is making himself being he's a graphic artist). Check. Reality Check...Check?

After my very productive weekend, I came home and stressed and stressed about weather my hubby to be would like my dress. I mean...this is the dress that he will remember for the rest of his life! What if he hates it!?!?

So I told him and asked him if he would just placate my and tell me if he liked my dress when he saw it, or if he would be honest. He said, "Babe...I don't care if you wear a burlap sack...as long as you love me, are faithful to me, and stay focused on what matters...that's what Ill remember. Ill remember our vows...and the food...but most of all...Ill remember your eyes on that day - promising to be mine, and what we'll say to each other. A wedding dress - or a wedding for that matter (meaning the reception and all the bells and whistles) does not a marriage make. That part is up to God and us...not a wedding planner or a dress."

I was thrilled :). I know my hubby to be, and I know he meant those words. And they really made me step back and say, "Why am I so stressed about the whole wedding thing?" Here I was worrying about all the "bells and whistles" of the day - from our registry and what happens if we get duplicate gifts and where we will put our new linens that I know someone will get us, to how my posture should be while walking down the aisle. None of it really matters in the long run.

What matters is:

"Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
(Mark 10:9 - NKJV)

This is a great teaching of what not only marriage - but what marriage is about as well. God has joined men and women together in marriage. It is by His grace and love that He chose to bring that couple together - not the wedding planner, florist, caterer or DJ...it was God.

Therefore, if we remain focused on the One who brought us together in marriage in the first place, and not let "the world" creep in and pull us apart - we'll be alright! So weddings - marriages - are made beautiful by the Lord and His destiny for that couple - not by the "bells and whistles" of a wedding day - or the paintings on your wall, or the car in your driveway, or the clothes the kids have on or weather or not your nails are done to keep up appearances with the other ladies. It is made beautiful by love - His love in our loves for us, and for our lives together with our husbands - focused squarely on Him and His will for our lives.

So in these tough and sometimes even depressing (and even terrifying) circumstances we are facing in the world today - let us not focus on the bells and whistles of life, but on the God given promise that, if we focus on love on Him, he will sustain us - our marriages, our families, our lives... "What God has joined together (be it marriage, families, etc) let no man separate." - that is what we must focus on...and while doing so, remembering that, while we may not be the magazine bride with the Martha Stewart wedding we dreamed of...we are His bride and we need to be preparing for the return of Him - our heavenly Groom - who loves us and can't wait to welcome us as His bride! (even if we do look like a Macy's Day Parade float...). Behold...The Groom is coming quickly...what a ceremony and reception that will be!!! - with every lavish thing we could dream of...and food to dazzle our minds and taste buds - calorie free! - with our brothers and sisters in Christ...and our dashing, handsome, perfect Groom...I can't wait! Can you? Go get yourself ready for The Bridegroom!!! The time is near for the festivities!

Let us pray...

Lord, so often we get wrapped up in the details of life and become so stressed by the bells and whistles of what we think should be going on in our lives - from big events to daily duties - that we forget to truly surrender all to You and let You sustain us. You are our Bridegroom - and You are already prepared for us, and You are preparing the festivities for us, even now. Help us to be ready brides - ready for Your arrival. Help us not to focus on what we will wear on our bodies as your bride, but what we will be wearing in our hearts on the day You hold us accountable. Help us to walk not by sight, but by faith alone - focused on what matters most - You. Help us to not let man separate what You have joined together. It's in Your Son's name, Jesus Christ, that we pray. Amen.

In Faith,

"I don't have time to be a woman!"

"I DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE A WOMAN!"

"Being a woman is hard work." - Maya Angelou

How many times during the course of a week, a day, an hour, do you look like the woman in the above image?

You're cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, changing diapers, homeschooling your children, paying bills, shopping, running errands...or maybe you're in your office for 8 hours day, or at the front of a classroom, or working the over night shift in a hospital...whatever you do during the course of a day, your doing it as that role - the role of a teacher, a nurse, a secretary, a mom, a grandmother, a daughter, a caregiver, a wife. Think about it for a minute, how many roles do you play during the course of a day? How many people pull you in every direction possible during the course of any given day?

Now, think about how often you get to play one of the most crucial roles that our Creator meant for us to play - so crucial a role that the Bible devotes much to the topic - the role of being a woman.

When we think about what women are "supposed" to be like, maybe images of a damsel in distress come to mind, or maybe the "perfect housewife" image of the 1940's, or maybe Wonder Woman combined with Donna Reed...what, in your mind, is a woman?

What does God say a woman is? One need just to do a few minutes of research online into biblical womanhood to find God's image of what a woman is and what her place is in the world and in the home. We are designed, by God, to be wives, mothers, lovers, friends, help-meets, care givers, and even, sometimes, heroines. Being a woman is hard work! We are expected to be so much in any given day that often times we lose our sense of self in all of the hustle and bustle of life. We forget, or push aside, what it means to go from the picture we looked at earlier, to something more like this:

...softness, gentleness, and...time for our self. It is important that we remember to take time to be a woman - not a mom, wife, daughter, care giver...but just a woman and all that it encompasses - strength, compassion, gentleness, wisdom, beauty, passion - how often do you allow yourself to be a woman as opposed to a woman who is busy playing a role.

Now don't get me wrong, we need to take on the roles that God gives us - and we usually enjoy them too! But when we lose our sense of womanhood - of what it means to be feminine - we are missing out on one of the most glorious blessings that God has given us! We are surrounded by what society says a woman is, every day, millions of times a day it seems - stick thin, covered in makeup, wrapped up in fashion, meaningless reality shows, and expensive household items that we "can't live without"...that is what the world says being a woman is...let's briefly take a look at what a woman is according to he Word of the Lord:

Proverbs 31:10-31

"A wife of noble character, who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies."

(A good woman is a treasure!)

"Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life."

(A woman is trusted by her husband because of her wisdom and good sense. She only brings good things into the family through her ways.)

"She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family and
portions for her servant girls.

She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arm are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers."

(A good woman is industrious, creative, frugal and doesn't spend her days simply watching television or being slothful. A good woman is a hard working one!)

"She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy."

(A woman is generous to those in need and doesn't hesitate to share with those who are less fortunate or in need.)

"When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple."

(A woman take care of her family and prepares the household to face any circumstance - from harsh winters to a failing economy. She works to ensure that she always presents herself in a way that is not only pleasing to the eye, but pleasing to the spirit as well.)

"Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes."

(A woman is a confidant of her husband and works alongside him to support him in his endeavors.)

"She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come."

(A woman has confidence in her ability to take care of her family and utilize her husband's money, or other resources, to ensure that her family can face anything that the world can dish out - together!)

"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."

(A woman is aware of what is going on in the world and does what she needs to do so she is able to best guide her family through difficult times.)

"She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness."

(A woman's home is her castle. It is her domain. Regardless of weather or not a woman works or is a housewife, her home is her responsibility that she does not take lightly. Even at the end of the day, when she is exhausted, she looks around and takes pride in the home that she has worked to create for her family.)

"Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her saying:
'Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.'"

(A woman who lives the way a woman should, according to the way God designed it, will be honored, respected and adored by her husband and her children. Though, we should know that our real reward comes from knowing our Heavenly Father is smiling down on us and our efforts!)

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate!"

(What a wonderful reward for the hard working woman - knowing that while being a godly woman may not be a glamorous job, and we may not spend our days in spas, shopping or being famous...because of how we honor the Lord in our role as women, we will be praised and loved by the Lord our God - our reward given to us in eternity!)

What a beautiful example of what God indented a woman to be!

So, as we go about our days - running our kids to rehearsals and practices, preparing dinner, cleaning out the mustard stains on our carpet, taking care of our family finances, caring for our parents, praying for a husband, praying to have a baby, volunteering in our community, grading papers, working the late shift - and maybe even fitting in a shower somewhere...let us remember to be the women that God designed us to be - for it is in our role as godly women that we feel truly useful, blessed, and complete! Let's pray:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for making us women and we thank You for caring about us enough to create us in such a unique way that if we strive to let You shape our womanhood, we will reap the benefits and love not only from our family, friends and community, but most importantly, You - our Creator, our King, our Lord and Savior. Thank You for Your love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. Help us to be the godly women You destined u to be. It's in Your Son Jesus' name we say, Amen.

In Faith,

Beauty in the Dust Bunnies

This week's devotional comes from a question posed in a book that I, along with other women I know, find both inspiring and thought provoking. This question asks:

"A woman's struggle with her sense of worth points to something glorious she was designed to be. The great emptiness we feel points to the great place we were created for. Have you ever thought of your struggles and longings as pointing to something great you are designed to be?"

(Taken from "Captivating: A Guided Journal - Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul" by John & Stasi Eldredge)

With this question, think about how your life reflects the life you thought you would lead. Is it better than you ever could have imagined? Do your daily struggles lead you to wanting "more" or being "more"? Do you feel like you play an important role in the lives of those around you - that you are a necessary part of the lives of others? As you think about this question, recall Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Have you ever sobbed over a dirty house, screaming children or a situation in your life that you had to stop and say to yourself, "This isn't what I signed up for!"? Haven't we all!

A few months back I came up with this "at-the-time-wonderful-idea" of having a New Year's Day party with my fiance's parents and my parents, getting together to watch the Mummer's Parade, have a few nibbles of food, and just enjoy the day together.

However, before long, both my fiance and myself were inviting his entire family, my extended family and our church friends over for a New Year's Day feast! (mind you my family and his family had never met prior to this party!)

So of course, come New Year's Eve, I am still cleaning, cooking, shopping, and literally making myself cry over every little detail of the house - even polishing the floors and being sure to wipe down all my molding...because, of course, my guests will be white-glove-inspecting my molding! ugh... So, I sent my sweet fiance off to his family's house to enjoy New Year's Eve with them and I stayed home prepping for "the big event". He came to visit me at 11:58PM - so we could see the ball drop together. But I was frantic. 2009 was welcomed in by Dick Clark on my TV set and my poor hubby to be, who only wanted a hug, was greeted by a flushed, frantic and frazzled fiancee! He didn't understand why I was so stressed about this party! Why didn't he understand? Why isn't he helping more? Why isn't he frantic too? ( can you relate to these thoughts ladies? :) )

You see...I imagined a carefree party with guests enjoying a lavish feast, sipping their drinks, laughing, enjoying hand made delights and not a dust bunny in sight throughout my home...with me being the perfect "Donna Reed" hostess...of course!

"This isn't how it's supposed to go!"

I thought to myself as I swiffer dusted my ceiling fans and electronics. "Where is my glass of champagne? Where is my perfectly pressed little black cocktail dress and heels? Where is the Sinatra music gently playing in the background? This isn't what I signed up for?"

Yet...the next day, with his family, my family and our church friends all mingling together, laughing, telling stories about Brian and I when we were children, talking about wedding plans...and even while my best friend's 4 year old splattered cola across my freshly cleaned carpets...I understood.

I wasn't made to be a hostess...I was made to be a part of something so much bigger...and so much more important!

I was made to be a part of a family!

A family doesn't consist of people assigned to roles (hostess, social director, cab driver) - though we sometimes need to take charge of those roles - those roles aren't who we are; those are trivial compared to the big picture. A family is comprised of personalities who, when combined, make up a story - sometimes confusing, sad, exciting, lavish, nutty or broken stories...but stories none the less. And those stories are what gets passed down to our children, to our friends, and their families. I was made to be a part of people's stories! I was made to be a part of a family! It wasn't the dusting, the cleaning, or the prep work that I was upset about...it was the "this doesn't fit my picture of what I think a party should be like" that got me upset. I didn't understand during those days preceding the party that all that work was pointing me towards something bigger than myself - a family.

So while the work was...well...work...it was work with a purpose - a point - part of a bigger picture. What I pictured in my head to be the "perfect party" had nothing to do with the party in and of itself, but of how I wanted to be a part of laughter, of stories, of happiness and joy; that is what I wanted...not the party. Thankfully...I got it. Oh, and our families got along just fine :) whew...and no one noticed that my closets were ready to pop open with all the "stuff" I shoved in them!

Have you ever felt as if "you didn't sign up for this"? Do you think you're missing out on the bigger picture? Take a moment today to stop what you are doing...cooking, cleaning, changing diapers...and say "hey...I'm a part of something big here...what is it?" Ask the Lord to fill your heart with how He has made you a part of a wonderful adventure...an adventure of families...and stories...and legacies...all made by and because of...you!

"Lord Jesus, we ask You to fill our heart's with gratefulness towards all that You have called us to be. Help us to look beyond the ends of our own noses and see the big-picture-stories that You have designed us to star in. Forgive us for being ungrateful for the stories You have placed us in. Help us see the great in the mundane and the beauty in the dust bunnies. It's in Your precious name we pray...Amen."

In faith,

A "Poor-Man's" Christmas?

"When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?"

- G.K. Chesterton

I don't think that I am alone in saying this year, Christmas will be tight financially. Walking around the grocery store the other day, I noticed that I simply just could not afford to purchase everything I needed (more like wanted!) to bake all the scrumptious cookies and treats that I grew up baking in my family because the ingredients are just too expensive!

I was pretty upset that, this being the first year in my own home, getting ready to be a bride, I could not provide my husband to be with a hearty Christmas Eve hosted by his bride-to-be - filled with cookies, and cakes, and a feast to please his heart and tummy...I told my husband to be that I just wanted memories of sipping hot cocoa, watching Christmas movies, laughter, baking, the works - I wanted to be that bride that had that kind of ability entertain her husband and make him feel like the holidays were really something to be had...something to be cherished and longed for in eager anticipation...

Then, my sweet husband to be did something to remind me that Christmas was already going to be special even though we aren't rich and can't afford all the "luxuries" of Christmas. On his way by to see me, he stopped by the store. When he got to my house, he told me to sit on the couch and close my eyes and wait a few minutes.

And what did he do?

He remembered me telling him about the memories I longed to create for him - but my husband to be - being the man that he is - found a way to do it...on the cheap, but just as beautiful! He made me hot cocoa with Andes mints in it and arranged store bought thumb print cookies around my cup.

He told me that Christmas is where we are...not where stuff is.

And we watched a movie on television - something Christmas related, but I don't remember what - I just remember marveling at this man that I am to marry and remembered - Christmas is really just Thanksgiving part II - it is yet another seasonal reminder of what we are to be thankful for - and what we are celebrating - the birth of Christ and what His life did for each one of those who believe in Him. It isn't about who has the most hand baked treats, or the most overflowing stockings, or the most beautifully decorated house...

It's about love - a love story between God and His children...a love story so beautiful that, as the best present ever, God gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish...

...now...doesn't that beat any game, trinket, jewelry or treat?

Which would you rather have? Stockings hung by the fire, overflowing with goodies - or stockings around your God-given legs that will one day dance before the King? I don't think any of us who believe in Jesus Christ will be having a "poor-man's" Christmas...in fact...I think that our Christmas...no, each day we live...is rather lavish and rich because of His love for us!! What do you think?

So I have my sweet husband to be to thank for reminding me that Christmas isn't where the presents are...Christmas is where Christ is...and that...hopefully...is in each and every one of our homes - where He is celebrated, loved, praised and thanked each and every day...for giving us legs to fill our stockings so we can be the feet, legs, knees, and body of Christ...

What a wonderful Christmas gift from our King to we small, sometimes way-too-wrapped-up-in-unimportant-"details"...children...Thanks Daddy for the ultimate gift!!! We promise to share it with everyone we meet :)

Dear Heavenly Father - Thank you for reminding us what Christmas is truly about. We may be struggling right now, but we know that You are our ultimate provider and always take care of us. Thank you, Lord, for causing our eyes to turn towards the gift of the season that is the only one that matters - the gift of the birth, death and resurrection of Your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Help us to re-gift His gift over and over again, each and every day - with each person we meet - so that they, too, can experience the gift of His love, mercy, forgiveness and grace. We thank You, we love You and we give You all the praise...in You Son Jesus's name...Amen.

Until next time...God bless you & keep you close to His heart!